darnall



.ll 6. DARNALL.

RAQKFOR S-TERILIZERS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, I918.

Patented July 8, 1919.

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[In/e11 for:

25 tray and thence through the perforations or Jon-n o. amas, or mu -win, o HI'o.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed-May 20, 1918. Serial No. 235,581.

To all whomz't may concern: V

Be it known that I, J OHN G. DAR NALL,-a citizen of the United States .of America, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, vhave invented a certain new. and useful Improvement in Racks for Sterilizers and the like, of-which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to trays o-r racks especially adapted for use in sterilizers or thelike for supporting drinking=vessels and other objects that are intendedto be putinto a thoroughly sanitary condition for use, and its Object-is to provide a tray or .pan having a perforated or wireesh bottom with a suitable, removable grille that is adapted to elevate said drinking-vessels and other objects to be sterilized to'a greateror lesser. degree above said perforated or wire-'meshbottom so as to reduce the supportingcontact-points of said objects to be sterilized to a minimum and, at the same time, permit a free circulation of thesterilizing-media from a generating or supply chamber or receptacle that delivers said media to the bottom of said wire-mesh thereof into and around the objectsto be sterilized that are supported on said grille, and a further object is to provide an auxiliary-rack that is supported byv the rim of said tray and is adapted to support thereon other objects to be sterilized or otherwise treated in a sanitary manner, the objects in the lower tier, supported by said first-named grille, being adapted to extend through said auxiliary-rack and to telescope within the objects supported by said auxiliary-rack without contacting therewith, and a still further object is to provide still another auxiliary-rack, .made of light, thin wire or the like that rests 'withthe least points of contact upon said second tier of objects to be sterilized and, in turn, is adapted to support a third tier of objects to be sterilized or otherwise treated in a sanitary manner. r

The details ofstruoture, which are quite simplaand inexpensive, will be fully hereinafter described'in connection with the several' views of the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which, 1 V

Figure lisa perspective viewof the lower tray "embodying thefb'ase or main portion of my invention and-contai-ninga removable grille in a perforated bottom thereof Fig.2

ting them in a sanitary a transverse section taken on the line m, at,

ma e u e, 1919.

Fig. l, but showing in addition thereto the tray slidingly-supported within the walls of asterilizing-chamber, the latterhaving below it a steam-generating chamber or other source of sterilizeresupply, and in this view still. further showing the first andsecond auxiliary-racks for use on saidfirst tray in supportingseveral additional tiers of objects to be sterilized; Fig. 3,' a plan view -of one form ofauXiliary-rack; Fig.4, a transverse sect on, on line y, y, of Fig. 3; Fig. 5,

a plan view of a modified form of light rack for use in the upper tier of racks;,Fig. 6., a transverse section, on line a, 2, of Fig. 5;

and Fig. ,7, a transverse section of an auX- iliary, topmost rack having right-angled pedestalsadapted to duly suppor-t' glasses telescoped upside down thereon.

1' indicates atray or pan havinglongitudinal side-walls 2 and transverse end-walls 3, together with a perforated bottom 4, the latter being susceptible of substitution by a wire-mesh instead of the perforations, as occasion may require. The .tray 1 is adapted tobe slid into-and'from place on angle-iron supports5 that are mounted within a sterilizer-chamlber 6 having side-walls 7 and a bottom 8. The bottom is centrally orificed at. 9 and forms the top, of a steam-generating chamber 10 said orifice 9 forming an eXit through which the sterilizing gas orsteam passes upwardly into the sterilizing-chamberfi andthence through the perforated .or

wire-mesh bottom 4: of said tray 1 for circulation around the entire surface, inside and outside, of the drinking glasses llthat are supported in inverted position on a grille 12 in the bottom of tray- I,-such' grille being adapted to support the rims of the glasses slightly above the perforated bottom 4c and thereby reducing-the points of contact be tween said rims and said perforated bottom to'a minimum and simultaneously reducing the covered surfaces in which germs might lodge and thereby escape the sterilizing, gases in the operation of the device. The said grille is made up of fine crossed-wires of suffioient strength and stiffness 'to support the drinking-glasses thereon and. to form' the first tier of: glasses for treatment inthe device. Of course said tier of glasses maybe substituted for other objects of a nature needingsterilization or other treatmentaforqpua condition for use,

it not being deemed necessary to particularize such other objects herein, drinking or beverage glasses being considered objects of the greatest moment in which the sterilizer action is necessary. Said grille can, of course, be dispensed with if desired, but its use is preferred for the reasons stated. In Figs. 3 and 1, as well as in Fig. 2, I have shown a very desirable form of auxiliary-rack for use in supporting a second tier of drinking-glasseson the rim of the tray 1 and so that the said second tier of glasses may partially telescope orencompass the upended bottoms of the lower tier ofglasses, as best shown in Fig. 2, and without the said up-ended bottoms contacting with the inner surfaces of the said second tier of glasses, whereby the circulation of the sterilizer gases is not interfered with and especially into the interior bottoms of all the glasses in each succeeding upper tier as well as in the first tier. Said auxiliary-rack, seen in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, is composed of narrow sheet-metal that is formed into a-rectangular frame 13 on the interior of which is pro vided a series of-pairs of partitions/11 at either side the longitudinal center-line thereof, such pairs of partitions being arranged in double array and having longitudinal connecting-ligaments 15, fastening-rivets 16 being used to connect said ligaments. Each pair of'partitions 14: has its outer ends 17 connected'by -rivets 18 to said rectangular frame 18 and it is obvious that the series of pairs of partitions at either side the said center-line of the frame 13 can be made of a single piece or narrow strip of sheet-metal, bent into the shape shown in Fig. 3, and the rack is ada ted to be laid in place on the upper rim of the bottom-tray 1, as shown in Fig. 2, with the said up-ended bottoms of the lower tier of glasses extending upwardly through the several pairs of partitions 11 and without the latter touching said glasses but ready to receive and support the inverted second tier of glasses whose rims rest on the edges of the thin strip of material forming said partitions 11 with the points of contact reduced to a minimum and thereby reducing the liability of germs lodging between the rinis of the glasses and said edges of the partitions 11. The second tier of glasses can be readily removed from the tray 1 by using the rack 13 with its internal partitions in doing so and such rack can be readily placed on the drain-board or elsewhere, convenient to the user of the glasses or the one dispensing the beverages that such glasses are to contain.

An auxiliary-rack, such as is shown in Figs. 5 and 6, may be used in connection with the second tier of glasses, seen in Fig. 2, and adapted to support a third tier of glasses or other objects to be sterilized or otherwise treated in a sanitary manner for shape. or straight bodies.

said partitions and the latter, adapted to support objects to be thereon and in telescopic'but not in touchuse. This last-named aunilary-rack is composed of a rectangular frame 19, two longitudinal rows of rings 20 and a suitable number of hook-links 21, the latter being arranged both transversely and longitudinally so as to couple said rings in alining rows parallel to the longitudinal side-members of the rectangular frame 19. In use, this lastnamed auxiliary-rack is adapted to rest upon the second tier of glasses with its rings 20 in the slightest-possible contact with the outer surfaces of said glasses and vertically alining'with the spaces between'the double partitions -14 of the first-named auxiliaryrack, and it is preferably made of very light wire that is strong enough to support the tier of glasses placed thereon for sterilization and for carrying them to using-position, corner-legs 22 being provided to support said last-named rack on drain-board, table or the like for readyaccess theretoby the user. Said corner-legs 22 are preferable but not essential, and it will be seen that they will support the glasses at a higher elevation above the said drain-board than 90 will the turn-down hook-ends 23 without them, and with a more convenient hand-hold for elevating and carrying the rack.

The telescopic feature of the glasses seen in Fig. 2 is a very desirable one, as well as important, for the reason'that it saves space and makes the device more compact, as well as less liable to topple over or upset when in a sterilizing-chamber or otherwise.

An important feature of my invention resides in the auxiliary, topmost rack seen in Fig. 7 that is adapted to rest on the auxiliary-rack seen in Figs. 5 and.6, and to readily accommodate glasses having either bell- This top rack is made of flat sheet-metal crossed strips, each bent at right-angles to form upright pedestals 21 spaced by bases or feet 25. Ghanneled clamp bars or strips 26 engage the outer feet 25 of the-pedestals and serve to 110 duly strengthen the structure for its: de-

and an auxiliary-rack having a rectangular frame and one ,or 'more series of double, spaced partitions assembled within said rectangular frame and adapted to be supported by the rim of said main-tray with the upper portions of the objects to be sterilized that are in said main-tray extending upwardly in the spaces between in turn, sterilized ing engagement with the lower'tier of objects to be sterilized.

2. A sterilizer-rack comprising a main or bottom tray having a perforated or a Wiremesh bottom, a grille or grating Within said bottom and elevated slightly above same, an auxiliary-rack surmounting the rim of said main-tray and having one or more series of spaced partitions therein for the vertical extension of the objects to be sterilized, supported in said main-tray on said grille and adapted to support a second tier of objects to be sterilized that telescope Without touching the lower tier of objects in the maintray, and a second auxiliary-rack made up of light-wire rings that are connected with in a light rectangular frame and adapted to but slightly engage the upper part of each 15 Without the said second tier of objects to be 20 sterilized telescoping Within the said third tier of objects to be sterilized.

J QHN C. DARNALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

